Mechanism for operating cleaning brushes and similar apparatus



Se t. 27 1927.

p cs. B. WELSER. JR

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING CLEANING BRUSHES AND SIMILAR APPARATUS Original Filed March 25, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 27 1927.

G. B. WELSER, JR

MECHANISM OPERATING CLEANING BRUSHES AND SIMILAR AfPARATUS Original Filed March 25, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllllTl/ l'llI/I/ I gear- 0 a v 1 643,866 Sept 27, 1927. G. B WELSER (JR MECHANISM FOR OPERATING CLEANING BRUSHES AND SIMILAR APPARATUS Original Filed March 25, 1919 s Sheets-Sheet 5 gow fe (j. pyazsynir.

W W & AL A Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES I 1,643,866 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. WELSER, JR., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO CHAIN BELT COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING CLEANING BRUSHES AND SIMILAR APPARATUS.

Original application filed March 25, 1919, Serial No. 284,926. Divided and this application filed October 19, 1922, Serial No. 595,586. Renewed June 7, 1927.

The invention presented in this case, which is a division of my application filed March 25, 1919, Serial No. 284.926, which application has matured into Patent No. 1,435,770 dated November 14, 1922, relates to mechanism for operating cleaning brushes, such as are used to remove the material collected upon the surfaces of liqu d screens, as for instance, those employed in the treatment of sewage, or of water taken from a natural stream to be used for industrial purposes. While the invention has been devised with special reference to use in connection with apparatus such as stated, I do not wish to be limited in its useful applications to apparatus such as shown in the drawings, for other devices than brushes might be operated by the mechanism shown, and the brushes or other devices might be used in connection with apparatus other than liquid screens.

In the accompanying drawing, in which I have illustrated the invention applied to a liquid screening apparatus- Figure 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the brushing apparatus taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a short section of the brushing apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line V-V of Fig. 4.

In the drawings,2 indicates awater screen of the endless, traveling type, formed of a series of perforated plates 27 carried by parallel chains that pass about head and foot wheels, supported in a frame 3. As the construction of the screen itself forms no part of the present invention it need not be described in detail. Suflice it to say, that means are provided "for causing the screen to be slowly moved through the liquid that is to be cleaned of material such as will be taken therefrom by the perforated plates 27. The liquid flows through a chamber designated 4 into which the screen dips. The upper run of the screen, which is the working portion thereof, moves in the direction of the arrow a, Fig. 1, traveling from the submerged foot wheel to the head wheel,

and being, when in use, in an inclined position, as is common in apparatus such as herein represented. The material that collects upon the surface of the screen and is held thereon by the force of gravity is lifted out of the liquid, as the screen plates successively emerge therefrom. After the liquid with which it is saturated, has somewhat drained therefrom it is removed by a series of brushes 5 that are moved so as to sweep across the surfaces of the screen.

So far as the present invention is concerned the direction of travel of the brushes 5 may be at right angles to the direction of movement of the screen 2, or oblique thereto, as indicated in Fig. 1, the latter arrangement being preferred for reasons that are set forth in detail in my aforesaid application of which this case is a division. The brushes 5 are connected with and moved by a pair of parallel chains 6 that run in engagement with wheels 7, 7 supported in a frame 8. This frame is preferably supported by the frame 3 of the water screen and is transverse thereto. The means employed for supporting the brush frame from the screen frame are not illustrated in detail, since they form no part of the present invention. The two frames are preferably connected in order that their working relations may be maintained whatever be the adjustment of the screen frame.

The chains 6 are preferablyprovided with wheels 9 that run in engagement with tracks 10 suitably supported by the frame 8, this arrangement providing for the steady movement of the chains and the parts they carry during operation of the apparatus. Cross pieces 11 unite the opposite chains and hold them properly spaced apart, and also serve as bearings for certain adjustment bolts 24 that will be presently described. The brushes 5, of which there are several in a machine such as illustrated, although an apparatus with one only would for some purposes be operative, are supported uponshafts 12, which are mounted near their opposite ends in-bearings 13 carried by arms or links 14. These in turn are supported upon cross shafts 15 supported in bearings 16 that are mounted in housings or slideways 17 suitably secured to the chains 6, in which the said bearings 16 are free to move to a 1imlid ited eatent. To each shaft in is secnrcd a gear wheel 18 that runs in mesh with a stationary gear element supported in the frarne 8 and paralleling in a general way the traclrs it) which gear element is preterahly in the term oil a rach lll. will he seen by reference to Fig. 2 the tracks 10 are not continued around the wheels 7 7 at the ends oi" the "frame 8 where the conveyor chains t3 turn, because at these parts of the course of the chains the wheels 7. 7 hold them steady, and the tracks 10 are theretore unnecessary. There is another reason for dispensing with the tracks adjacent to ,the wheel l, for this wheel is adinstahle, by means oi devices such as represented at 22.6, in order that the chains 6 may he hcpt taut as they stretch and wear in use. The rack 19 with which engage the wheels 18 is however preferably continued at the ends oi the trance h, so that it may he said to parallel theentire coarse oi the conyeyor chain 6 next to which it is supported. A train of gearing 21 is interposed between the shafts 15 and i2; anddrom the arrangement described it will he seen that as the conveyor chains d more in the direction out the arrow in Fig. t -carrying with them the slideways l7, and these in turn carrying; the shaft 15the gear wheel 18 will he caused to turn hy reason of its engagement with the rack l9, thus rotating the shaft lli, tram which rotary motion is transmitted through the train of gearing @l and shaft 1% to the brush 5, The speed of rotation of the latter will he each as -to-properly cleanthe surfaces or" the screen, and this speed will insured hy the proper relationship in size hetween the wheels constituting the gear train hit,

"the shat'ts 15 are extended outward heyond their hearings 16 to afiord supports for the wheels 22 that run in engagement with traclrs 523, that parallel the rach 19 throughout its entire course. This arrangement insures that the gear wheels 18 shall always he maintained in proper meshing engagement with the rach lit-l, notwithstanding the bearings for the shafts 15 are movable lliriying mechanic is employed to move the screen 2 and also the cleaning mechanism yhut'it'is not deemed "necessary here to illustrate such driving means as these may he ot' any preferred arrangement, and con stitute no part oi the present invention.

The operation of they apparatus may be easily understood from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The conveyor chains 6 are driven, carrying the'tools 5 across the face of the surface to he acted upon, through power applied to one of the wheels 7 or 7 are moved they are caused to rotate, as has been explained, by reason of the engagement of the wheels 18 with the rack 19'. As the chains stretch and wear they hecome loose, making it desirable to adjust the wheel 7 to take up the slack, the position of such wheel aiter adjustment heing indicated by dotted lines in Fig. Q. it will he seen hy reference to this View that the distance hetween a chain 6 and the rack 19, along the straight portions of the course of the chain, is the same as, the distance between the chain and the rash: at the central portion ct its turn around the wheel '1 when such'wheel is in the position indicated in full lines, this being the position it will occupy when the chains 6 are new and unworn; but that the distance hetween the chains and the rack alongthe said straight portions is greater than the distance hetween. the chain where it malres the turn around the wheel 7 when the latter .occupiesmthe"dotted linewposition, that is,

alter it has been adjusted to take up slack in the chain. But as the distance hetween the rack '19 and the track 23 is the same throu h out the entire course of each it follows t at there must he some relative movement of the shafts l5 and the chains as such shafts, and the parts which they carry, pass the wheel l, and this is provided for by the floating or movable hearings 16 in which the shafts 15 are mounted and theslideways 17 carried by the chains, in which said bearings move. Clhis arrangement insures accurate working oi the parts oi the apparatus and at the same or floating and may change their positions W hrwhich the with reference to the slideways in which they are Shipper ted,

A bolt 24: is pivotally connected with the tree end oi each link or arm it, its outer end being seated in one of the cross pieces iii, and an eapaneion'spring'fia'eurronhds each holt, having hearing at one end against the cross piece 11 and at the otherend acting upon the bolt, These springs operate to hold the hrushes ti againstthe'snrtacesare to clean, with tihe desired force, Suitably adjusted nuts 26 are upon the holts 2?, by means of which the tension or the springs 25 is controlled.

i e perinits the supporting wheels for the chains 6' to be adjusted to keep them taut and in host worlring condition.

Should for any reason it he necessary for the chains 6 and the rack 19 to depart from their parallel relation at points intermedi- As the brushesllil ate between the wheels? and 7. the construction described would permit this with out interferin with the working relations of the parts. S 'ould such a departure take place the tract: 23 should follow the course oi "the rash 19 rather than that of the chains 6. "it *Wil'l lJE *apparentthat "rotating tools other than, a brush might be supported u on the shafts 12, such tools heing arrange to operate upon a surface over which they chain,

might be moved. In such an arrangement no change need be made in the mechanism shown and described other than the replacement of the brush by any desired tool.

It will be seen that the movements of the bearings 16, relative to the chains 6, are in planes parallel to those in which the chains travel,that is to say, to planes including the oppositely moving strands of the chains and the wheels 7, 7' with which they engage,so that as the bearings 16 move in their slideways 17 while passing around the wheels 7 they move on lines radial to the axis of rotation of that wheel.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus such as described, the combination of an endless power chain, supporting wheels with which it engages, a tool connected with the chain and arranged to operate on a surface across which it is thereby moved, a stationary gear element paralleling the course of the power chain, and driving connections for operating the tool, engaging with the said gear element and free'to move toward and from the chain, whereby working conditions between the gear element and driving connections are maintained, even though the former and the power chain should cease to be in parallelism.

2. In apparatus such as described, the combination of an endless power chain, supporting. wheels with which it engages, one of which is adjustable to take up slack in the chain, a stationary gear element closely paralleling the chain throughout its entire course, a rotating tool connected with the chain and arranged to operate on a surface across which it is thereby moved, and gearing for rotating the tool, one element of which moves in engagement with the stationary gear element and is caused to be driven thereby, such moving element being free to move toward and from the chain in order that working engagement with the stationary gear element may be maintained even though it and the power chain should cease to be in parallelism.

3. The combination stated in claim 2 including also supplemental means for maintaining proper engagement between the said gearing and the-stationary gear element.

4. In an ap aratus such as described, the combination 0 an endless power chain, supporting wheels with which it engages, one of which is adjustable to take up slack in the chain, a stationary gear element following more or less closely the entire course of the a rotating tool arranged to operate on a surface across which it is to be moved by the said chain, connections between the said tool and the chain including a shaft and hearings in which it is mounted, movable relative to the chain, gearing for rotating the tool, one element of which is on the said shaft and engages with the stationary gear element, by which itis caused to rotate, a guide parallel with the stationary gear element throughout its course, and a part carried by the said shaft running in engagement with the guide and arranged to maintain the gear member in proper working relation with the stationary gear element- 5. In a cleaning apparatus, a brush, endless chains that move the brush over the surface to be cleaned, wheels around which the chains pass, means for adjusting at least one of said wheels to take up slack in the chains, a stationary gear element following the course of the chains and passing around the said wheels, gearing moved by the chains, engaging with the said stationary gear element for driving the brush and floating .bearings for the gearing that is moved by the chains.

6. In a cleaning apparatus, the combination of a brush, endless chains that move the brush across the surface to be cleaned, wheels about which the said chains pass, adjusting means for one set of wheels to take up slack in the chains, a continuous stationary gear element following the entire course of one of the chains and extending around the wheels, gearing movable with the endless chain and operated by engagement with the said stationary gear element for rotating the said brush, and means for causing continuous engagement of the movable gearing with the stationary gear element, including engagement at that end where are located the means for maintaining proper chain tension.

7. In a cleaning apparatus, the combination of a rotating tool, endless chains that. move the tool, floating bearings interposed between the tool and chains, from which the former is supported, a stationary gear element following the course of one of the chains, gearing supported from the said floating bearings for rotating the brush, one element of which engages said stationary gear element, and guides for the floating bearings arranged to maintain the said gearing in proper working engagement with the stationary gear element.

8. In a cleaning apparatus, the combination of abrush for cleaning a surface, endless chains that move the brush, a gear rack following the course of one of the chains, floating bearings from which the brush is supported interposed between the latter and the chains, gearing for driving the brush supported from the said floating bearings, one element of which engages the gear rack, guides for the floating bearings paralleling the gear rack, for maintaining proper engagement of the gearing with the rack, and a spring for holding the brush in proper. working engagement against the surface to be cleaned.

9. In a cleaning apparatus, the combination of a brush, endless chains for moving the brush over the surface to be cleaned, slideways carried by the chains, floating bearings mounted in the slidewaysfrom which the brush is supported, means for holding the brush against the surface being cleaned, and guide tracks for the chains for preventing such movements thereof as might cause disengagement of the floating bearings from the guideways in which they are mounted.

10. In a cleaning apparatus, the combination of a brush, endless chains for moving the brush over a surface to be cleaned, floating bearings carried by the chains, a shaft supported in the bearings, links mounted on the shaft and carrying the brush, a stationary rack following the course of one of the chains, and gearing on the shaft in the floating hearings in mesh with the rack and causing rotation of the brush as it moves over the surface being cleaned, the links permitting a certain freedom of movement of the brush relative to the floating bearings.

11. The combination stated in claim 10 including also guides for the shaft carrying the floating bearings, for maintaining the gearing in proper mesh with the rack.

oanoncn n. 'niisnn, JR. 

